Select: AB99-10

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No.99-10                                       Analytica Birmanie
THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN BURMA: INTERVENTION ON THE HORIZON 
 
"One thing is that any kind of turbulence in the Balkans is what's
called in technical terms a crisis, that means it can harm the
interests of rich and powerful people. So if people are slaughtering
each other in Sierra Leone, Colombia, Turkey or wherever, that doesn't 
effect rich and powerful people very much, therefore they are glad either 
to just watch it, or even contribute to it, massively as in the case of 
Turkey or Colombia.  But in the Balkans it's different, it can effect 
European interests and therefore US interest, so it becomes a crisis."  
      -- Noam Chomsky, Interview,  CBC RADIO April 16, 1999. 

Professor Chomsky strikes again, and hits the beast right between the 
eyes. Yes, the humanitarian crisis in Burma is being discovered by the 
international community, specifically by the United Nations, and 
incidentally -- or more importantly???-- by investors who are so very 
inconvienced and frustrated by electricity failures: chronic brown outs 
and black outs in Rangoon. 

The humanitarian crisis in Burma was discovered a few months ago by, 
among other, American Congressman Tony Hall. Or perhaps, he was just a 
point man, chosen because he possesses a credible humanitarian face. His 
thesis is that the "world" must intervene in Burma -- not with "smart" 
bombs (as happened a few months later in Yugoslavia and Kosovo), but with 
a bombardment of "humanitarian aid" dollars, to induce the military junta 
to behave in a more civilized manner. 

Incredibly, although a reputed "angel", Congressman Hall jumped with much 
aplomb onto a path where angels fear to tread: He firmly stated that 
democracy and human rights, good governance, rule of law, and lawful 
governments are irrelevant, given the magnitude of the crisis in Burma. 

The good Congressman even argued that although dollars earmarked for 
humanitarian aid would certainly have to pass through channels approved 
and controlled by the repressive and illegitimate junta, the country and 
the people would nevertheless benefit from the dollars bombardment -- on 
the long run, that is. (NOTE: "On the long run" is the favorite argument, 
and effective too, to justify jumping into unholy matrimony with despots, 
dictators, and rulers warring against their own people).    

What is wrong, very wrong, with Burma's "humanitarian crisis" scenario is 
that it became urgent only when investments in posh hotels, gleaming 
malls, glass office-towers, karaoke bars, restaurants, and so on, began 
to look more and more like lost causes. 

The hard fact is that there has been a real humanitarian crisis in Burma 
since 1962 when the military usurped power, not in 1998.  Anyone who is 
familiar with Burma's history knows this for a fact -- especially the 
Burmese themselves. They were, and still are, the victims of military 
misrule, mismanagement, state terror, and atrocities, which includes the 
use of rape as a weapon of war in ethnic areas. But did the international 
community, the U.N., and the jet-setting investors care? Certainly not. 

What is really sad about the sudden concern with the "humanitarian 
crisis" in Burma is the gleam in the eyes of professional humanitarians, 
both within the UN system and outside, at the prospect of being allowed 
to "save" the Burmese from the newly discovered "crisis" -- being allowed 
by none other than the those who were and are responsible for the crisis: 
military rulers who hate and fear the people and are also thoroughly 
hated by them.  

Although the crisis in Kosovo has somewhat put a stop to the plan to 
"save Burma" from the "humanitarian crisis", newly discovered by would-be 
rescuers and anxious investors, it is likely that there will soon be 
voices raised for intervention with dollars in Burma. It is also likely 
-- given the moral bankruptcy of the high and mighty of the world, the 
talking heads, and spin doctors -- that these voices will be greeted with 
nods of approval, even by the general public, more as a reaction against 
intervention by air strikes and smart bombs in Kosovo than anything else. 

There is also logic in this. The logic being that the bombardment of 
dollars will most certainly save investments already made. If the influx 
of "humanitarian aid" dollars benefits the repressive junta as well, and 
strengthens it, and if there is more repression and misery in Burma -- 
who cares? 

As Professor Chomsky reminds us, real crisis "doesn't effect the rich and 
powerful people very much"; they are glad either to just watch it, or to 
"contribute to it, massively...." 


ANALYTICA BIRMANIE
April 23, 1999. 
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